Five days after Austin Mayor Kirk Watson announced three finalists for Austin’s next city manager, one has already dropped out of the running.
Brian Platt, the city manager of Kansas City, withdrew from the running of the position Sunday afternoon, according a statement from Platt provided by Kansas City Press Secretary Sherae Honeycutt.
Platt was one of three finalists for the top-level executive position in Austin. The remaining two candidates are the city manager of Dallas, T.C. Broadnax and Sara Hensley, the city manager of Denton.
After some Kansas City news outlets reported Platt planned to withdraw from the running, Watson in a post to the City Council message board on Friday said, “We have been in contact with Mr. Platt through our search firm. He has not withdrawn from consideration for the Austin job.”
Platt’s formal withdraw came over the weekend.
More: Austin City Council announces 3 finalists for city manager
Platt was hired by Kansas City less than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and has worked in executive level city management since 2018, holding the position of city manager in Jersey City, NJ, before moving to Missouri.
Platt did not return the American-Statesman’s request for comment for an interview on his candidacy last week or about questions related to his application status on Friday.
Watson said last Tuesday candidates will participate in city meetings on March 25 and will have a public town hall later that evening. The next day, the mayor and City Council will interview the candidates in executive session. The plan is to have a candidate selected by early April.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Kansas City manager withdraws from Austin city manager search
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
